Page 41 of The Rebel (Covington Prep: The Girls We Love #7)

The room went silent, none of us so much as breathing, our ears on high alert. Then we all heard a faint scratching sound.

“Up there,” Valencia cried and pointed. “He’s up by the Christmas decorations.”

Shifting a ladder, I climbed up and pushed aside some boxes. Volley didn’t appear to be stuck, just unsure. The ladder shook as Valencia climbed up behind me.

“Is he okay?” she asked.

“Health and safety,” I said, “Pretty sure this is a one person ladder.”

Valencia huffed and mocked me, “Always a stickler for the rules, Sinclair.” And her voice completely changed to soft and melodic as she coaxed the cat down. “Volley? Come on Volley. It’s me. Come on.”

Volley sprung into action, jumping past me and onto a lower shelf, then shot out into the house. Valencia and Ollie chased after him, while I was left to put pack away the ladder.

By the time I came out, the two of them were crouched around Volley, monitoring every morsel he ate.

“Sorry,” Valencia said, looking up to me. “Thanks for doing that.”

“You’re welcome,” I said with an eyebrow raise.

She smiled. “Thanks Ollie. That was a brilliant idea to trace my footsteps.”

I frowned. “Uh, pretty sure I suggested it.”

“Yeah, but I did it,” Ollie said triumphantly. “I was the one who solved the mystery.”

“Yeah, good job,” I said. “We should head back now.”

I was suddenly all nervous about how Valencia would react to her trip to Europe. She’d been so disappointed at missing out, but now I was kind of hoping she’d be sad about leaving me. Ha! Such a healthy ego!

On the way home, Oliver yabbered the whole way, constructing a mystery story about Inspector Oliver and the missing cat.

In what I thought was a clever move, I crossed the fence first so that I could hold Valencia’s hand as she climbed over.

Not that she needed help but she faked a little stumble and I gladly caught her, holding her in my arms for longer than was necessary.

So long in fact that Ollie asked, “Are you okay, Vali?”

“Uh, yep,” Valencia said, “just jarred my ankle.”

“Volley wants to move in with Inspector Ollie and help him solve more mysteries,” Oliver rambled on.

Valencia broke away from me, sounding mortified. “What, Ollie! You’re stealing my cat?”

“No, he decides he wants to move in with me because I saved him. We become a team. Ollie and Volley.”

“I don’t think Paris will agree to that,” Valencia teased.

“Paris is away playing tennis all the time, so he doesn’t mind.”

“Volley couldn’t get himself down from the rafters so I don’t know how he’s going to help you solve any mysteries,” Valencia said.

“Volley has laser vision,” Ollie said. “He can see through walls.” The two of them carried on the conversation and by the time they were inside, Volley’s powers included extending claws and jumping over houses in a single bound.

Ollie repeated the real story of ordinary Volley, not the new improved super cat one, and Mom was relieved to hear he was safe and sound.

“Well, you’ll have to be on feeding duties from tomorrow,” Mom said.

“Huh?” Ollie looked confused.

“Valencia’s going away,” Mom said, smiling widely at Valencia whose eyes widened in mild horror. I could see her brain ticking away, wondering if she was being banished from our house. “No, it’s all good,” Mom said before I had a chance to reassure her, “you’re going to Europe.”

“What?” Valencia stared from Mom to me.

“Your mom rang and Paris is missing you badly, your Mom and Dad too. They want you with them as soon as possible. So you’re flying out tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? On my own? What about school?”

Mom answered all of Valencia’s questions and showed her the flight details on the laptop. She appeared overwhelmed rather than excited, and with the time zone difference would have to wait until midnight to call her Mom and Dad.

“You’ll have to pack tonight,” Mom said. “And I’ll drive you to Falls Creek airport tomorrow morning.”

That was news to me, and the reality of Valencia leaving made me intervene. “Mom, I can drive her.”

Mom frowned at me like I’d lost my mind. “You have school.”

“A few missed classes won’t matter,” I said, exerting a take-charge attitude. “I’ll take her.”

And I spontaneously put my arm around Valencia’s waist. Well, she was going away for three weeks—I needed every moment with her!

Mom blinked, looked away and then back to us. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, a goldfish gulping for air. Finally she got some words out, “Am I missing something?”

Heat rises, right? Because I could feel a burn creeping up my neck, onto my cheeks, my face scorching like the center of the sun.

“Uh, um,” I muttered, scared to turn my red-hot face in Valencia’s direction.

“They were holding hands,” Ollie piped up in childish innocence, “when we were looking for Volley.”

“Yeah.” I was going to have to man up, own this. “Uh, um, Mom. Valencia and I are...” I didn’t know the right word for us because I still hadn’t taken her on a date. I cleared my throat, beginning again. “Um, Valencia and I...well, I like Valencia. A lot.”

“I like Jade a lot too,” Valencia chimed in and I bravely looked at her, comforted to see she was a spectacular shade of scarlet as well, the two of us impersonating bright red tomatoes.

“Ohhhhh,” Mom said, seeming to need a moment to comprehend what we were saying, the light in her eyes slow in coming, but then that point of realization, “Oh! Oh, I see.”

I nodded, Mom now looking a little embarrassed, but her lips twisted into a silly smirk. “So...when did this happen?”

Valencia and I smiled at each other. “Uh, maybe when we went to Gramma and Pops?” I said, and wanting to reassure Mom before she jumped to conclusions, quickly added, “We haven’t...been on a date yet.”

“I’m waiting for him to ask me,” Valencia said with a giggle.

Mom seemed to have recovered from the shock and patted Valencia’s shoulder and winked. “Oh, well, let’s hope you won’t be waiting too long.”

“How about tomorrow?” I said, a pointed gaze at Mom. “At the airport cafe?”

“Mmmm, not the most romantic first date,” Mom mused.

“Nah, it’s not,” I said, “so, how about business class to London, then?”

“Nice try,” Mom said with a laugh.

“Why not?” I swirled my hand across Valencia’s lower back. “She’s a minor, she could do with an escort.”

“Okay, let’s get ready for dinner,” Mom said, quick to quell my absurd suggestion. Which in my head was perfectly possible. “Valencia’s got a busy night ahead.”

“But I can drive her to Falls Creek, right?”

Mom let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I think that will be fine,” she said, though her eyes narrowed a bit, “As long as you come back!”

“What happened to living out your dreams? Living life to the fullest?” I baited, enjoying the playful banter.

“In this instance it can wait till senior year is done, okay?” Mom smirked.

“Did you hear that?” I said to Valencia, “you’ll have to wait three weeks for a second date.”

“What if she doesn’t want a second date?” Oliver chirped up, thinking himself funny.

“Absolutely,” Valencia said, teaming up with my brother again. “It might be so horrendous, I might stay in Europe and never come back.”

“Oh, we’ll see,” I drawled with a swagger of confidence and, checking Mom wasn’t looking my way, aimed a kissy pout toward her.

She sneered at me with a scrunched up nose, but her cheeks blushed pink, and as much as she wanted to see her family, I knew she was going to miss me as much as I missed her.